The Christmas Fixup!
by KaramelKat
Summary: It's Christmas Time and Priss is out for revenge on Nene's traffic ticket!
1. Christmas Decorations

BubbleGum Crisis Tokyo 2033  
  
"Lah Lah lah, lah lah lah," NeNe hung more garland strands around a dark forest green Christmas tree, "Lah lah lah, dee dee, Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!" she sang while decorating. Small bits of tinsel were thrown over the branches of fir.  
  
"I love these Christmas holidays," Linna stared out the window, holding a cup of steaming cocoa. She was sitting on Sylia's office couch, watching the snowflakes drift by the window. One leg was curled beneath her on the cream couch, dark blue eyes staring into the void of white that decorated outside.  
  
"Well I'd love them even more if you would get over here and hold this ladder like you are supposed to," NeNe scolded from her tall perch. She gulped, looking down at the floor below, worry reflected in her aqua green eyes. The tree wasn't particularly tall, but NeNe was at a short disadvantage to it, and she had to use the ladder anyways. ~I should have used the suit to do this~ she thought despairingly.  
  
"So beautiful," Linna seemed mesmerized by the white flakes. She wasn't paying attention to the other girl. NeNe sighed and turned back to decorating the tree. She placed a small ornament into a crook. Moments passed of silence between them.  
  
She was reaching for the top, to place the star up there, when she felt the ladder wobble beneath her, the legs suddenly having a life of their own. NeNe paused, scared to move. "Linna," she said quietly. The ladder creaked and wobbled again. "Linna!" she cried as it toppled over, eyes closing, expecting the blow to the floor.  
  
"Gotcha."  
  
NeNe opened her green eyes. She wasn't in pain. She hadn't crashed and broken her body or worse her neck. Arms had caught her, strong arms. And she had heard Mackie's voice speaking to her. She looked up into his smiling face.  
  
"NeNe are you alright?" Linna came over from the window finally, looking worried but not overly so since she saw the miraculous save.  
  
"No thanks to you," NeNe stuck her tongue out at Linna. She looked up to meet Mackie's brown eyes, which were the shade of deep mahogany as his sister Sylia's. "My hero!" she threw her arms around Mackie dramatically in a hug.  
  
"Hey!" Mackie blushed, a tint of pink in his cheeks. He smiled and tried to set Nene down.  
  
"Oh look you're under the mistletoe," Linna commented, her eyes riveted just above their head. Just over the two was a small sprig of green and white, a common decoration for winter festivities.  
  
NeNe looked up. Mackie's dark eyes followed. "Hee! You know what that means!" NeNe teased. Mackie blushed, looking nervous. "Doesn't mean anything," he muttered. Nene was still in his arms and he tried to put her down again.  
  
NeNe smooched him quickly. "Heroes deserve rewards," she winked and laughed. Mackie set her on the floor again still blushing. He backed away quickly.  
  
"Um, I need to go work on Priss's cycle," he fled out the door on his excuse.  
  
"He's so much fun to tease," NeNe smiled, "He gets so nervous easily." She grinned watching him go. "You think something was wrong?" This asked off hand as she moved back over to the tree. She paused her hand on the bottom rung.  
  
"He needs a good woman so he can stop chasing Sylia." Linna commented, "Okay now I'll hold the ladder this time." She didn't really move from her position though and Nene peered at her skeptically.  
  
"That's what you said last time," NeNe said, climbing up the ladder. She still had the star clutched in her hands.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ow!" Mackie pulled back his thumb. That was the second time today he had pinched his finger with the wrench. He reached forward, placing the nut back on the engine and cranking the shaft. He would wonder what was wrong, but he knew what was wrong. It was the kiss earlier. Girls kissing him made him nervous, but it was worse with NeNe.  
  
Mackie was comfortable around NeNe. They were great friends, shared a lot of things in common, and enjoyed computers and hacking. But when things like today happened, he'd feel really weird. It was like his breath would stop and he'd get a strange tightening in his chest. Just like now.  
  
"Ouch!" Mackie pulled back his finger, which he had pinched again on that same wrench. "Hey Mackie," Priss strolled in, her usual assured self, smirking down at him with a knowing smile. "Got my ride done?" she leaned over her motorcycle looking down at him, brown eyes curious.  
  
"Almost," Mackie went back to work, applying the wrench once more. "You know, you wouldn't have to bring it in so much if you would just lighten up on the gas pedal when you're driving."  
  
"I've heard this before," Priss waved her hand at him, her tone not amused by his criticism, "Just fix it and don't say a word. Are the girls in?"  
  
"They're in there, decorating," Mackie waved his hand off towards the apartment and shop area. Priss disappeared inside behind the metal door.  
  
Mackie had done the same thing earlier, when he went in to get a drink. He had gotten there in time to see NeNe start to fall off that ladder. Fearing, she would be hurt, he had rushed forward and caught her. He blushed again, thinking of the mistletoe kiss. "Itai!" This said when the wrench pinched him again. He sighed. He really had to stop thinking about it. 


	2. A day in the life of Nene

"There!" NeNe came down the ladder and examined her handiwork. The tree was beautifully done in holiday reds, greens and whites, with a touch of colorful blues and gold mixed in. One hand pushed away strands of pink hair that clung to her forehead from her hard work.  
  
"Very interesting," Priss came in, sipping a soda. Her eyes examined the tree as she swirled her drink with the straw, ice clinking in the glass. "You did a good job NeNe."  
  
"Thanks Priss!" NeNe beamed. "I helped," Linna protested from her couch position. "Did not!" Nene protested with a giggle. She went over to tug the ladder out of the way.  
  
"Good job girls," Sylia came in, entering the room with her usual style and grace. NeNe had always wondered how one woman could carry such an air of elegance and refinement about her. Even fighting, Sylia seemed never to lose her cool or give away anything to the enemy. "With this holiday season, it will be hard not taking any vacations, but there are still boomers out there for us to keep in line," Sylia's calm voice reminded them, "So let's not forget to still train and work hard."  
  
"Which means you NeNe," Priss said, "Not eating too many sweets because you'll put more centimeters on your suit." She snatched a cookie from NeNe's hands, just as the pink haired girl had gotten one from the tray on the table about to put it in her mouth.  
  
NeNe blinked. Fingers that had previously held a cookie stared now at empty hands. She looked over at Priss a few tears decorating her green eyes. Her face became downtrodden. "I won't gain weight from one little cookie!" she sniffed.  
  
"Not from one, but since you've had sixteen you better quit now," Linna warned with a smirk. A favorite game of Priss and Linna was to tease Nene about her weight which swung up and down much more than their own.  
  
NeNe looked ready to cry save for Linna's words. Then she looked guilty. She HAD in fact eaten nineteen, three before Linna had found her. They were right! She was going to blimp up if she wasn't careful. Her face cleared up. "You're right!" she said. "I'm going to lose those centimeters!"  
  
"In your dreams," Priss said under her breath still smirking.  
  
* * *  
  
*Beep Beep Beep*  
  
NeNe yawned and hit the button on her alarm clock as it suddenly beeped. She snuggled back under the pillows ready to sleep in through the day.  
  
"YOUNG LADY OUT OF BED THIS INSTANT!"  
  
"Yes Ma'am!" NeNe shot up at the sound of her mother's voice. She continually forgot, her alarm was attatched to the phone at her parent's house. If she hit the snooze button her mother was always there to wake her up. Green eyes blinked sleepily staring at the vid screen that held an image she knew well as her own. Some said Nene looked exactly like her mother.  
  
"Morning darling," her mother greeted in a better mood, as her daughter got ready. "Mfmmg," NeNe said around her toothbrush and toothpaste. She rinsed, combed out her hair and then splashed water on her face to wake herself up. A little bit of gloss had herself ready, all she needed to do now was put on her shirt and skirt to dress. Sometimes being a police officer really helped, when it came to the decision of what to wear in the morning. A standard uniform was assigned to each and every one of them.  
  
"Take a good lunch, and eat a healthy breakfast for once, would you dear?" Her mother reminded. "You want to look great when you catch that certain man." Her face smiled on the video projector at Nene.  
  
"Right," NeNe downed a glass of milk and held a piece of toast in her mouth while she tried to get her uniform jacket on. She gnawed on the bread as she did this, a usual routine in the morning when she felt she might be late.  
  
"And don't forget to ask your chief not to let you out on the highway today. You'll be much safer at a desk job," were the last words she heard, before NeNe shut the door to her apartment and drowning out the sound of her mother.  
  
She let out a breath outside of her apartment. Every morning it was the same thing. Her mother would ask if she'd found a boyfriend yet. But her parents' standards were so high she wasn't able to find anyone to meet their qualifications. She doubted she'd ever find a man who she could bring home. And with her two jobs, she never had time to date.  
  
NeNe rode her motorscooter into work, carefully navigating the dangerous highways. She signed in at the desk and received the paperwork she was supposed to finish from the night before. She had left it, in favor of decorating the tree.  
  
She worked through lunch then slipped into the back security area. NeNe checked around, head peeking for extra personnel who might see her, before slipping into the secured area, using the chief's passwords. He changed them, but she was adept at hacking into the newest and latest password.  
  
NeNe searched for information regarding the boomers that had come out two weeks ago. They were a new prototype. They could move quicker than lightning, as NeNe had found out when she missed her well-placed kick to his chest.  
  
Priss had said she was slower from all her weight but NeNe had watched Priss have a hard time with a similar boomer. NeNe used the police computer to look up all the information Gencom had on new boomer prototypes. Her fingers worked rapidly across the keys as she attempted to find a back door into the Gencom programming at their headquarters.  
  
"Aha," she smiled nudging the Gencom system gently with her hacker programs, "Let me in baby. Come on let me in."  
  
ACCESS ACCEPTED.  
  
"You darling you!" NeNe hugged the ADP computer. She flicked through files of no interest, searching for the trash file she knew had information from top securities. No one ever thought to lock those files well.  
  
It took a few minutes but then, NeNe printed out the information she needed and logged off the Gencom system.  
  
She folded up the sheets and smiled to herself. She was such a computer genius. NeNe stepped out of the computer room.  
  
"What are you doing in there?"  
  
NeNe jumped six feet high, scattering her papers everywhere, at the sudden male voice that spoke to her. "Oh Leon it's you," she started breathing again when she saw it was the detective from her department. She kneeled down, picking up the scattered sheets.  
  
Leon leaned down to help her. "Prototype S 560 MEL," he read.  
  
NeNe snatched the sheet from him. "Just doing research for the Chief you know," she giggled nervously. She hurried to pick up the rest of the sheets before he could see what they contained.  
  
"The chief wants to know about Boomers?" Leon scratched his chin suspiciously. The chief usually left that information up to him. The only thing he ever wanted to know was if Leon had caught the rogue boomers that escaped.  
  
"He likes to keep updated," NeNe nodded solemnly. Inside she was chanting a small prayer for him to believe her.  
  
"Right.." Leon gave her a funny look. "So when are you and I going to paint the town red?" Nene was at a good advantage with Leon. He didn't suspect the bit of fluff Nene could hold a computer genius mind. Nene liked it that way although now it seemed he was flirting with her. Leon considered himself a ladies man, stretching his flirtations to any woman even Priss, although the singer shot him down all the time.  
  
NeNe's eyes widened, "My mother wouldn't let me out of the house," she refused him. Leon was a bit much for her. He was cute, to be sure, but his cockiness really turned her off. Plus, Priss had a crush on Leon, even if she did deny it.  
  
"You always say that," Leon laughed, "I might just begin to think you didn't like me." He grinned down at her, for that was her excuse every time the bad boy of the detective department asked her out.  
  
"Never," NeNe smiled with a small tease, flirting back for a moment. She separated from him, at her desk and sat down to do more paperwork, hiding her own papers in her stuff to take home.  
  
The next few hours passed by in a blur of paperwork. NeNe stretched occasionally, rubbing her neck. Police paperwork was one of the few drawbacks for working this job. That, and her mother driving her nuts.  
  
~Police officer is a man's work~ the words echoed in her head, sounding just like her mother, ~You'll never catch a husband because no one wants a woman who is a cop.~  
  
"Go away mom," NeNe muttered.  
  
"Hmm?" her friend, Naoko, who sat at the next desk looked over at her, peering over the small partition that separated them.  
  
"Oh nothing," NeNe giggled. She sweatdropped. 


	3. Training and Priss's Bet

Author Note: I keep forgetting disclaimers at the 1st chapter - All of BGC belongs to the anime people who created them. I did not create them myself but aren't they great? Give a big hand to the anime corps. of Japan!  
  
"Damn these things are getting worse every time we fight," Priss called from under her helmet. NeNe said back into her comlink, "That's why we have Sylia update our suits so often."  
  
Priss dodged a boomer's arm and grabbed it, jabbing her hand into a joint. Bullets blasted from her hand into the arm, severing it from the boomer's body. The sensors inside her blue helmet surveyed and reported the damage back although the boomer robot wasn't dead yet.  
  
"Aagh!" NeNe screamed. A tentacle from the monster wrapped itself around her waist. Electric currents shot through her suit. There was a minimal amount of damage the suits could sustain. Nene fought to get it off but the electric wires wouldn't let go by her will alone.  
  
*BOOM* The tentacles let go as Priss killed the thing by taking out his source of battery power. "Thanks Priss," NeNe fell to her knees. She didn't have time to recover before another boomer was on her tail. NeNe took off running, turning around to see where it was.  
  
"Take that," NeNe blasted at it with her suit. The boomer dodged coming at her. NeNe slipped under him before he could smash her into the ground. NeNe jumped, taking flight. The boomer followed behind her.  
  
"Linna go left around NeNe and take out her tail," Sylia said into the mics. "I'm busy here Sylia," Linna was dodging her own monster, using her specialized electrodes in her helmet to electrocute it.  
  
NeNe landed on the next building over from where the fight had started. The boomer landed in front of her, looming, an ancient enemy and terrifying. There was the click and clatter of robotic sounds as it prepared to kill her.  
  
"You don't want to kill a beautiful girl like me do you?" NeNe pleaded. Beneath her suit, her eyes were wide with fright. Nowhere to go and everyone was too busy to rescue her. She had to do something and fast.but what?  
  
It brought it's claws out ramming them toward her, extending the deadly metal forceps of its arm. NeNe shrieked, one arm coming up to block its attack. *WHOOM*. An explosion sound much larger than Priss could ever do destroyed the boomer as a huge torpedo hit it.  
  
When the smoke cleared, a yellow mecha robot flashed the victory sign. In it's other hand, was a bazooka. She recognized that Mechabot. Mackie had entered the fight to help.  
  
"Mackie thanks!" NeNe waved. "My hero again!" She was all smiles as she looked at him.  
  
Mackie said, "No problem NeNe." His voice was tinny through the microphone but she understood him well enough.  
  
NeNe flew back over and helped Linna double team her boomer. Linna was grappling with it, the electrodes having not successfully destroyed it.  
  
"Let her go," NeNe dropkicked the boomer in the head. The heel of her metal boot slammed into the side of its face gauging a shriek of metal but it only maimed and did not kill the boomer. It let go of Linna turning to NeNe, red robotic eyes whirling with precise deadly targeting.  
  
Priss threw her boomer over her head, tossing it into a wall. She twisted her body, aligning the sights and shot the boomer's main electrode. The light in the boomer's eyes died instantly, the metal form crumpling to the ground.  
  
Sylia's boomer was already down, her hand holding up the power box from its circuits. She had ripped it out of the boomer.  
  
"Don't chase me!" NeNe ran away from the boomer. Linna was behind the boomer, sending bullets at it. They sprayed with accuracy towards the robot.  
  
"Don't shoot me Linna!" NeNe dodged as bullets went by the boomer and headed at her.  
  
"Then get out of the way NeNe!" Linna shouted into the microphone angrily. This was HER fight.  
  
~What do I have an easy target sign over my head or something?~ NeNe tried to run faster away from the monstrous machine. They always seemed to find her the fun chase. Maybe Priss and Linna were right. She WAS slow because she didn't exercise as she should.  
  
~End of the line.~ She spotted the ledge of the roof coming up. Her sensors went crazy encouraging the rocket booster be used but she didn't want to do that just yet. She spied the ledge just over the side. She leaped. The boomer leaped behind her.  
  
At the last minute, NeNe grabbed the ledge and nearly pulled her arm out of her socket. Biting searing pain exploded through her arm as it grappled for a hold on the ledge and caught. The boomer didn't turn or stop in time to hit the wall on the opposite side. Linna let loose a barrage of explosives killing the boomer.  
  
"Ow ow ow ow," NeNe's shoulder was in deep pain. She wanted to cry out and get rid of it but if she let go she'd fall to the ground below. "Could someone help me please?" she asked timidly and with pain.  
  
Linna hauled her back up on the rooftop, not easily either. Nene and her suit together were heavy. "Owch," NeNe held her arm close, collapsing next to the edge of the wall she leaped over. Her shoulder muscle felt like jello.  
  
"That was similar to an old model I saw once, but it looked upgraded," Sylia stared down at her kill. "NeNe, research this tomorrow." She paused and looked over. "Nene are you alright?"  
  
"Sure," NeNe nodded to both. Then she winced because it hurt her shoulder, when she moved her head. "Can we go now?" she asked plainly not wanting to worry everyone.  
  
"Yes, when we get back, Mackie will take a look at your injury." Sylia was calm as she and Priss helped NeNe up.  
  
* * *  
  
"Woah you did some damage," Mackie looked at her shoulder. It was beginning to swell, the skin discoloring slightly. "You shouldn't have grabbed the ledge like that. Why didn't you use the rocket booster?"  
  
"It hurts alot," NeNe admitted touching it with gentle fingers, wincing. "I didn't want to lose some power. You know the rocket boosts take up a lot of energy.. Owch!" She moved her arm accidentally, pain flashing in her eyes.  
  
"Well don't touch it," Mackie laughed, "I'll bind it up for you." He went over to the medicine cabinet and began to rummage through the first aid stuff Sylia kept around for emergencies. There were a lot of things too as this room was similar to a small hospital room.  
  
"Uhmm..." NeNe had pulled down her uniform a bit but underneath... she blushed. "Couldn't Priss do it?" she asked. She didn't want Mackie to see her undressed. And that would be required if he did this.  
  
"What?" Mackie turned around holding some bandages. "Oh.." he turned red, then grinned, "Hey it's not like I haven't seen you before. You weren't so shy last August when that terrorist almost blew up the Police Building."  
  
"You were looking?" NeNe turned red with embarrassment. "I threw that shirt over your screens!" Her mind tried to recall exactly what happened. She remembered taking off her shirt and tossing it over his screens before he could get a full look at her. Suddenly she blushed. He may have gotten just a peek at her bra.  
  
Priss had been walking past in the hall. The door to the medic room was slightly open and she heard Nene and Mackie inside. She went over to see how NeNe was doing and paused as she heard what they were speaking of. Her eyes widened hearing this conversation. She scooted closer to the wall, listening in. One eye peeped in to see what they were doing.  
  
"Not when you first started undressing," Mackie laughed, "You were really impatient to put on your suit and I saw you," this is teased. NeNe stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"You weren't supposed to look!" she yelled at him, cheeks blushing at the thought of what he saw.  
  
"I'm a guy. We always look. You had a nice pink bra on." Mackie teased, "Now come on let me bind your arm up. It won't be anything I hadn't seen before."  
  
"No way!" NeNe shook her head, "You would look again. Get Priss." She could be stubborn if she wanted to be.  
  
"I promise I won't look," Mackie winked gleefully at her. He was still teasing. NeNe shook her head, "You pervert." Still he wasn't going to get Priss and she needed her shoulder taken care of.  
  
NeNe carefully pulled only her arm out of the spandex suit she wore beneath her hardsuit. It hurt like hell to do it, but she wasn't about to let Mackie get a look at her again. She eased her arm out, nearly ready to shriek at the pain. Only when it was safely out did she let it dangle at her side. "Okay."  
  
"Chicken," Mackie teased as he began to unroll the bandages for her.  
  
~Very interesting~ Priss noted. She never thought those two were close. She watched Mackie bind NeNe's shoulder. When Mackie wasn't looking, NeNe smiled down at the top of his head. She had a very soft look on her face.  
  
~Oh my gosh..could those two??~ Priss's eyes widened. She stepped away, going back down the hall to the community room. She was thinking so hard, she almost ran into the tree, but managed to swerve and avoid it in time.  
  
"Priss?" Linna looked at the young singer. She wasn't usually this occupied in her thoughts. Linna looked up from her book to watch Priss enter the room.  
  
"Linna," Priss's eyes lit up. "You have to help me do something." Her tone held a bit of mystery and the hint of an idea that would change a lot of things.  
  
Linna gave her a curious look, interested.  
  
* * *  
  
"You want to what?" Linna blinked. She wasn't sure she heard Priss right.  
  
"I think they may have something going on between them," Priss smiled, "What if we were to get them together? NeNe is always talking about getting a boyfriend." She sat across from Linna on the couch after explaining her idea of matchmaking.  
  
"Why do you want to do this Priss?" Linna asked. She looked at Priss suspiciously from the corner of her eyes. It wasn't like Priss to want to help matchmake or even try to make a romantic "something" out of anything.  
  
"Huh?" Priss reddened. She suddenly looked uncomfortable about the questioning.  
  
"You're not exactly the meddling type." Linna pointed out, "That's NeNe's job."  
  
"I know," Priss looked guilty, "But I still haven't paid NeNe back for that ticket she gave me. My insurance went sky high. So this is a bit of revenge. She'll go crazy wondering who it is that likes her."  
  
"I don't know," Linna shook her head, "What if they end up hating each other? Then what?"  
  
"I promise it will work," Priss smiled confidently, "Just watch them and you'll see it too. And I'll throw in dinner if you cooperate."  
  
"Hm..." Linna put a finger to the side of her head thinking. Free dinner, very tempting. "All I have to do is deliver the stuff right?"  
  
"Right," Priss nodded.  
  
"Okay you have a deal." Linna stuck out her hand. Priss shook it.  
  
"What's a deal?" Sylia walked in wearing an expensive looking black dress. It molded to her curves invitingly. She looked like she was going out for a night on the town. A silver necklace shone like spun moonlight upon her throat.  
  
"Nothing," Priss smiled a sweat drop forming on her brow. No need for Sylia to know their plans involving her brother.  
  
"Man I'm starved," Mackie came in tossing his black hair back, "What's for dinner sis?" 


	4. Secret Admirer!

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," NeNe sang. The sound reverberated in her helmet before the wind whipped it away. She was motorscootering to work in the snow. It was slow, but she made it in plenty of time. It was easy now that her shoulder wasn't bound. It had taken nearly a week to heal completely.  
  
"Good Morning," she greeted to the guards at the security station. She swiped her id card. "Morning," they smiled back. Everyone should be in a cheerful mood today. It was only a week until Christmas was upon them.  
  
"Morning Chief!" she greeted popping her head into his office for a moment, "Merry Christmas!"  
  
"Merry Christmas NeNe!" he waved back.  
  
"You're in a cheerful mood this morning," her friend Naoko commented.  
  
"I love Christmas don't you?" NeNe smiled. ^_^  
  
"Have you been to your desk already?" Naoko asked a mysterious smile on her face.  
  
"Huh?" NeNe's green eyes stared at Naoko. "No.why is something wrong?" She tilted her head to try and get Naoko to explain.  
  
"Oh," Naoko grinned, "You might want to stop by. There's something interesting there."  
  
Her curiosity was up. Naoko was grinning so it must not be anything bad. What was on her desk? NeNe rounded the corner, her eyes automatically going to the corner where her desk sat. She blinked. She must be seeing things. She blinked again trying to clear the vision. It wasn't everyday she came in to see a huge bouquet of red roses on her desk. "Oh my god!" She raced the rest of the way to her desk, Naoko following.  
  
"Who are they from?" Naoko asked, propping herself up on her own desk and leaning over to look at the beautiful roses.  
  
NeNe shook her head. She stared for moments, in stupefied disbelief at the crimson petals and the forest green leaves which radiated beauty even this far into the winter. She leaned forward sniffing the delicate blossoms. The sweet fragrance made her smile. She looked for a card, finding one near the back.  
  
"What's it say? What's it say?" Naoko jumped up and down. She tried to peer over NeNe's shoulder and get a look at what was sent.  
  
'My heart is beating for you. Your Secret Admirer.' NeNe's green eyes widened as she read that single statement. Her mouth opened and she screamed. Everyone in the office jumped suddenly turning their head to look at the crazy woman who just split their ears apart.  
  
"I have a secret admirer!" NeNe shrieked again her eyes scanning over the note.  
  
"You do?" Naoko snatched the note from her hand. "Wow cool!" She quickly read the note as well, grinning.  
  
~I wonder who it is.~ NeNe looked around the office. The chief? Nah, he was married. His head hung out of his office door, staring at her like she was crazy. She probably did look it, screaming so loudly over a single note and yet after all this time of never having anyone to love, she finally had someone who was secretly admiring her, afraid perhaps to approach her. Who was it?  
  
NeNe's eyes lit upon Leon. Him? No, she decided. He looked too surprised by her gift. Daley? NeNe rejected that thought. Everyone knew he was partial to his own sex. She looked at Billy, the new rookie. He was sitting at his desk with his ears covered. Not him. Apparently not anyone in the office.  
  
"Did you see which florist delivered this?" NeNe asked. Naoko shook her head. "They were here this morning," she said, "I think they signed for the delivery downstairs at the desk." She shrugs, "Sorry."  
  
"Darn," NeNe examined the card carefully. She turned it over in her slim fingers regarding the little square. There was a little print on the back of the card. "Springtime Flower Shop."  
  
~I'm going to find out who he is~ NeNe thought determinedly. She wasn't a police officer for nothing! She'd get to the Springtime Flower Shop and ask who bought the flowers. They must have records!  
  
* * *  
  
Mackie whistled as he opened the doors to the garage. He loved to work on machines and cars. Especially older models, classics. A young woman yesterday, had brought in a sweet jaguar from the 2005 models. She wanted him to align the brakes but he intended to look the engine over and see what kind of fine-tuning had been keeping it well. There the black beauty rested in the last spot behind the other cards. "Hello beautiful," he greeted the shiny car with a loving glance.  
  
He went outside the garage and picked up his mail from inside the box. "Bill, bill," he flipped through. "Lottery sweepstakes. Hah!" He threw that one in the garbage. With the money they made off one single job the sweepstakes couldn't even touch that amount.  
  
"Huh?" Mackie came across and plain white envelope with his name printed in bold lettering across it. "What's this?" He turned the envelope over. There was no return address.  
  
He slit the envelope with his thumb and opened the single note card inside.  
  
'In my wildest fantasies you are there. Running your fingers through my hair. This passion between us won't go away. I burn for your kiss each and every day.  
  
Your Secret Admirer.'  
  
Mackie blinked his brown eyes. An admirer huh? He wondered if it was the cute woman who brought the jaguar in. She was checking him out when she signed her forms yesterday. Mackie's chest puffed up slightly. It could have been her. She was very hot with long blond hair, swinging hips and ice blue eyes.  
  
But they'd only met yesterday and this person "burned for his kiss each and every day." Mackie frowned. He didn't know who it could be. He ran over a list of women he'd been interested in. There was the bakery girl. She was a bit young, but he enjoyed flirting with her. Could it be her?  
  
~What about Karen?~ Mackie wondered if it could be his ex-girlfriend. She had said he was too mysterious, disappearing as much as he did. She broke it off, when he wouldn't tell her where he was. She thought he was cheating on her with other women. It couldn't be her. But then who sent him such a note?  
  
* * *  
  
"Ooooohhhhh," NeNe eyed her dilemna. The huge bouquet of roses, her tiny motorscooter and the freezing cold wind were not a good combination. She was going to lose her roses to a winter blizzard!  
  
"Need some help little lady?" A black car pulled up. The driver side window rolled down, revealing a man with dark sunglasses on, brown hair and that same flirtatious smile he used on every woman in the force.  
  
Leon pulled up his sunglasses and winked. NeNe laughed. "Leon! Thank you! Could you follow me to my apartment so I can drop these off?" she asked, eyes lighting up happily at the offer.  
  
"No problem." Leon flashed a wolfish grin. He unlocked his car door and NeNe put the flowers into his passenger seat. "Thank you Leon," she smiled, "Just follow me.. my home isn't too far away."  
  
She hopped on her motor scooter and buckled her helmet under her chin. NeNe drove slowly through the slush that was forming from the snowmelt. Leon followed behind her, revving his engine a bit for fun. His car was so much faster than a scooter yet he was polite enough not to pass her.  
  
* * *  
  
"Nice place," Leon commented, setting the flowers down on her kitchen counter.  
  
"Thank you. And thank you for helping me bring those up," NeNe ran her fingers through her pink hair nervously. Leon had insisted on helping her bring the flowers up. Was she wrong? Was he the one? Could he have sent her the roses? She eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Not much space ," Leon looked around curiously at her apartment, his brown eyes traveling over the decorations on the wall. NeNe smiled nervously, a half smile that meant the recipient of the smile should go away and stop bothering the other person.  
  
"Yeah I'm a small person," NeNe agreed, laughing and scrubbing her the back of her pink hair again with that trembling tension of nervousness. She wanted him to leave so she could track down the florist and quiz them on who bought her flowers. If it WAS Leon she was going to beat him up severely. Or get Priss to.  
  
*Boodoop Boodoop*  
  
"Phone," NeNe tried not to look relieved at the interruption. She touched the small receive button on her phone.  
  
"How was work sweetie?" Mrs. Romanova's face appeared on the vid. She was beaming at her daughter until her eyes fell just behind Nene. Curiosity bloomed in green eyes the same shade as Nene's. "Who is that behind you dear?"  
  
"Mom!" NeNe's eyes widened in panic. "Um..he.." She stammered not knowing how to explain Leon's presence in her studio apartment.  
  
"You have a boyfriend and you didn't even tell me?" her mother shrieked her entire mouth filling the screen for a moment as she yelled into the camera.  
  
"He's not my boyfriend." NeNe denied vehemently. One hair stuck up on her head and she blushed, sweat forming on her brow. Heavy sweat because she had no words to say in her own defense.  
  
"I'm just a friend from work," Leon said smoothly. "You must be the infamous Mrs. Romanova. Nene is always talking about you at work." Leon flashed the smile that could make girls swoon. He was such a charmer, his voice warm and compelling as he looked at her mother. Her mother immediately shut up, staring at him for a few moments.  
  
Nene couldn't believe it. She watched as her, HER MOTHER, fell to Leon's charms. Mrs. Romanova actually blushed slightly, "I hope it's good things." Her voice was light and shy as she said this to Leon.  
  
Leon winked, "Of course." He smiled again at her mother reassuringly. Her mother really did blush now. "Well dear I called to see how your day was," Mrs. Romanova's voice was soft as she spoke to Nene again. Soft, only because of that handsome man behind Nene.  
  
"It was fine Mom," NeNe put her finger on the disconnect button, "But I have to go. I've got things to do. Talk to you later!" She hung up before her mom could protest. NeNe let out a breath and turned apologetically, "I'm sorry you had to see that."  
  
"Hey no sweat." Leon waved, "You look like your mother a bit."  
  
"Gee thanks," NeNe gave him a pointed look and rolled her eyes. Leon just laughed. "I've gotta go," he said in that deep baritone voice of his, "See you tomorrow at work."  
  
NeNe let him out. She was a bit confused. Maybe he wasn't the one.after all he didn't ask to stay any longer than necessary. She puzzled over this for a while but her mind eventually turned to more feminine things. Like. where did her flowers look best? She spent some time, trying to decide where to put the roses. By her windowsill? No, she decided, the cold might wilt the flowers sooner. In the corner? Nah, too cold there too. She settled for putting it on her nightstand where she could see them when she woke up.  
  
~Now to call the flower shop~ she thought looking at her watch. Thoughts of the flower shop flew out of her head when she saw what time it was.  
  
"Oh no!" NeNe cried, "I'm late for training!" She threw on her jacket and raced out the door. 


	5. The Sixth Level Shock Absorbers

"Hi Mackie!" NeNe waved on the way through the garage. Mackie was bent over, working on a dark black jaguar. He raised his face from the engine, brown eyes peering at Nene. He was smudged in oil. "Oh hi NeNe," he greeted, "They're all in there waiting on you." He waved towards the back of the Silky Dolls shop.  
  
"Thanks!" NeNe zipped by with a smile. There was an elevator that went way down underneath the ground to where Sylia kept the equipment for training.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. You girls won't believe what happened to me today," she said when she entered the underground training area. Priss was hooked up to the arm muscle machine. Linna was helping her. Sylia was examining the computer board, which contained readouts from the information NeNe had downloaded for her.  
  
Ne Ne headed for the changing room that contained the workout suits as Priss said, "What? What happened?"  
  
NeNe's head popped up over the door of the room for just a moment, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. "I received flowers from a Secret Admirer!" Her head disappeared behind the door.  
  
Priss grinned at Linna. Linna poked Priss in the side. "Really?" Priss interjected a hint of doubt in her voice, "I would have thought you were late from stopping at the bakery."  
  
"Ooh," NeNe's eyes flashed green fire at Priss from the changing room. She pulled her practice suit on angrily, "You're soooo mean Priss!"  
  
"Do you think she's gained two or twenty centimeters these past two weeks?" Priss asked Linna. Linna giggled.  
  
"I'll have you know," NeNe marched out of the dressing room with a frown on her face. "I haven't touched a sweet in five days!" She tugged on her practice suit as if to prove she lost weight. She didn't really but she didn't gain either.  
  
"Wow what a record," Priss grinned.  
  
"Stop teasing," Sylia tsked, "Your turn in the training NeNe. You got above a five last time. Try for a six now."  
  
NeNe stuck her tongue out at Priss before turning and going into the training room. "Ready Sylia." she called. She waited for the start of the hologram program. It was a tricky program designed with three points to touch before the enemy was considered terminated. Sylia was nice though and set two attack points for Nene, for now.  
  
"Same as before. You'll have two different attack points in a ninety second period," came Sylia's voice from the intercom. She hit a few buttons and started the program.  
  
NeNe watched the hologram come towards her. It looked like a blob with balls in it. She had to find the right point, without getting touched.  
  
~Two or twenty do you think?~ Priss's voice echoed. NeNe saw her face on the blob. ~You eat too many sweets~ Priss snatching away the cookie from her hand.  
  
"I do not!" NeNe cried striking forward with her hand. She hit the blob directly in the center. A light shot out from the hologram, hitting her in the head. The buzzer sounded.  
  
"Not again!" NeNe slumped down. She was distracted too easily and never beat the hologram like that. Priss and Linna were laughing as always from within the booth. "Good going Nene," Priss's throaty voice came over the microphone, laughing.  
  
"Try again," Sylia encouraged. She set the program again. "Ready?"  
  
NeNe took a breath. She cleared her mind of everything. "Ready!" she agreed. The hologram started again, but she was ready. NeNe's head quickly did the math and twenty seconds later, she punched the first attack point, dodging three hologram arms.  
  
~The angle of the last one was twenty degrees on target, so the next one,~ NeNe's eyes examined the hologram. She leapt out of the way of two blows, one almost touching her leg. ~Aha,~ she found the weak point in the top back. She frowned. The hologram was taller than her.  
  
"Fifteen seconds NeNe," Sylia reminded.  
  
NeNe ducked four more blows. She rolled in a sommersault on the ground underneath the hologram coming up behind it. "Tag you're it!" she tapped the hologram. It disappeared with 00:02 left on the clock.  
  
"Yay!" NeNe jumped up and down in glee. "I did it! I did it! I did it!"  
  
"She finally cleared level six," Sylia smiled, "Good for you NeNe!"  
  
"Way to go!" Priss smiled. "You go girl!" Linna pumped her fist in the air.  
  
NeNe beamed happily. They were pains in the butt sometimes, but Priss and Linna always wanted her to do better. "I will get to level eight someday!" she held up a fist.  
  
"You're not there yet doughnut girl," Priss's voice cut through the microphone. "Now come on out so I can have a go." She cracked her knuckles at the thought.  
  
NeNe stuck her tongue out at Priss again. She was too happy to be brought down by insults. She CLEARED level 6!!!  
  
* * *  
  
"That's the last of them," Priss shut the door to Linna's minivan. She had loaded the last box into the large storage capacity in the back.  
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea Priss? I mean this is like..vandalism.." Linna glanced back into the garage storeroom nervously, "You didn't miss any did you?" She really wasn't too sure about this. "Did you disconnect the wires?"  
  
"Got them all and yes it's a good idea. Now get in your car and drive!"  
  
Linna started her van and drove off. Priss walked back through the supplies room, into the main area of the garage. "Good night Mackie," she waved to him as if nothing were wrong.  
  
"Night Priss," Mackie waved from his work. He stood up straight and wiped his hands on a rag. Then he cleaned his face from the grease that acquired there.  
  
Priss jumped on her motorcycle chuckling. She wanted to stay and see what happened, but if she did it would ruin the plan. Sylia was already gone and Linna had all the parts in her van. Priss had to disappear before NeNe looked at her scooter, Mackie looked at his car and they looked at the phone lines.  
  
Those two would never know what happened.  
  
** * * * **  
  
NeNe was beaming as she left Raven's Garage. She HAD lost a whole half centimeters according to the body scanner. She was so happy! A secret admirer, gaining level 5, and losing a half centimeter; Santa was visiting her early this year!  
  
"Good night Mackie!" NeNe waved on the way out. Mackie closed the hood of the jaguar he was working on. "Good night NeNe."  
  
NeNe swung her leg over her scooter. She turned the key. Nothing happened. She tried again. There wasn't even a clicking of the engine.  
  
"Oh no! I hope the battery isn't dead!" NeNe jumped off the small bike. "Mackie!" she called out walking back into the garage. "Mackie!" She frowned. She was having such a great day too! And then this happened!  
  
"What is it?" Mackie emerged from the office. He had just been about to close up.  
  
"My scooter won't start. Could you look at it and tell me what's wrong? Please?" NeNe pleaded.  
  
"Sure thing," Mackie walked outside with her. "It's dark out," Mackie grabbed the handlebars, "Let's push it inside the shop." She followed him back inside as he settled it in a spot usually favored by Priss's cycle.  
  
Inside the garage, Mackie knelt down next to the motor. He pushed, prodded and poked at the engine. He bent over, Nene with him as if she could see what the problem was. "Aha, here's your problem," Mackie pointed. "Someone has taken your spark plugs. He backed up nearly bumping into Nene. "Oh sorry!" Nene moved out of his way.  
  
"It's not a problem. I have some in the back." Mackie reassured her as he stood up.  
  
"Great!" NeNe breathed a sigh of relief. Mackie disappeared into the storage room. Just a few minutes went by and he reappeared with a confused look on his face. "I could swear I ordered some last week," he muttered. To NeNe he said, "I'm sorry. I thought I had spark plugs for your scooter type but I'm all out of them. I can pick some up in the morning and fix it. In the meantime, do you need a ride?"  
  
"Yes," Nene nodded. She regarded her scooter mournfully. "I suppose I can call Naoko in the morning for a ride to work." She was already planning ahead. Mackie smiled and escorted her to his car. He opened the passenger side for her and then got in himself. "Don't worry. It will be ready tomorrow night," he said reassuringly. He turned the key.  
  
Just as with Nene's scooter, nothing happened. Mackie turned the key again. He pumped the gas pedal. "Oh this is just great!" He rolled his eyes. Getting out of the car, he released the hood and then went around to lift it. Staring down, he found once more spark plugs had been taken. And if what he suspected was correct, the back room didn't have his type of spark plugs either. "Just a moment Nene," He went to the backroom.  
  
As expected, the boxes of spark plugs had disappeared. He frowned. There weren't many but this meant there was a thief who had gotten in somehow to the garage. He would have to call the police to file a report. He emerged from the storage facility and walked over to his car. Leaning down he peered into the window where Nene looked curiously back up at him. "Any luck?"  
  
He shook his head. "No," Mackie opened the door to let her out. "Someone has stolen all the sparkplugs from my storage room." He frowned. "I need to call the police to file a report. I'll call you a taxi too to take you home." He helped her out. Nene nodded and went with him to the office.  
  
"Oh good," Mackie picked up a pile of papers, "I almost forgot these." He picked up the phone shuffling the pile until it was a neater stack. He began to dial the number when he noticed there was no dial tone. He hung up. Once more he picked up the receiver and jiggled the connector. "Well." He looked mystified.  
  
"What is it?" Nene asked. When he explained it to her, she frowned. "Check the connection," she pointed to the extending cords. Inspection of it revealed there was nothing wrong with the connection to the outlet. "What in the world is going on?" Mackie sighed. He picked up his pile of papers. "Looks like we're walking home."  
  
"What?" Nene panicked. "Mackie my apartment is ten miles from here! It'd take me all night to walk there!" She didn't even want to think of how long the walk or how dangerous it would be on the night streets. Priss was comfortable walking around but Nene knew what it was like. They didn't take to cops really well.  
  
"Calm down," Mackie soothed. "Sheesh," He laughed. "A little walk won't kill ya and our apartment is only a half mile from here you know that," He reached out and tweaked Nene's nose. "We'll walk there and call you a taxi from there."  
  
"Oh," Nene looked relieved. She picked up her stuff and slung her purse over her shoulder, gripping it tight. "Ready." Mackie nodded. "Hold on," He found a folder and slipped the bills and letters inside that he had to go through tonight for the garage. 


End file.
